


Personal Space

by Daiya_Darko



Series: Boundaries (Imaginary and Physical) [1]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Blood Drinking, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-05
Updated: 2013-05-05
Packaged: 2017-12-10 12:41:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/786159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daiya_Darko/pseuds/Daiya_Darko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will is on to Hannibal more than he lets on; it's time to start setting some boundaries.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Personal Space

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JLR](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JLR/gifts).



> I wasn't sure how to tag this since it's non-sexual blood drinking, but yeah. It's also not graphic?? Just idk man if you want me to tag it further, holla.

"Are you - "

"Yes."

"Please don't."

Hannibal looks up from Will's finger, and for a moment, Will's heart flutters. He feels pinned beneath that gaze, stuck and helpless like game in a trap.

"You are aware of the properties of human saliva, are you not?"

"I am, but - " Will loses the words before they can form in his head.

His finger is in Hannibal's mouth.

His finger -

Hannibal -

 _Eye contact_.

Will shuts his eyes and looks away, swallowing dryly at the sensation. It's not unpleasant, and it strangely does make his paper cut feel much better.

Still.

 _Hannibal_.

"Oh my goodness," Hannibal draws away from Will's hand with a look of offended disgust. "What are you eating?"

"Excuse me?" Will asks, flustered.

Hannibal looks down at Will's finger and snorts with an air of disdain. "You're anemic."

Will snatches his hand back, shocked. "You can tell from tasting my blood?"

Silence, and then Hannibal nods. "You need more iron in your diet. I'll begin making lunches for you."

Will begins to shove away from the table to excuse himself, then remembers that they're in  _his_  house.

_Oh._

_Plan B._

"Thank you, doctor, but I'm perfectly capable of feeding myself."

"Clearly you aren't, Will," Hannibal leans back against the kitchen counter casually, regarding Will like a newly started pet project. "Besides, you like my cooking."

"No I don't."

"You ate my breakfast."

"To be polite."

"You said it was good."

"I was making conversation."

Will almost feels like he's arguing with a helicopter parent, bent on making sure he eats brussel sprouts and brushes his teeth before bed. He's not going to give in to Hannibal's obnoxious attempts to delve deeper into Will's personal life, not going to give him the satisfaction of getting closer. If Hannibal wants to work his way to Will's heart, then he's going to have to find some other entry besides his stomach.

"Will," Hannibal calls softly, and Will fights the flinch in his muscles.

"I'm thinking."

"About my proposition?"

"About how I wish you would stop."

And then Hannibal is right there, chair pulled up only a foot away from Will, and leaning into his personal space.

"Does my presence make you uncomfortable?"

On the tip of his tongue is the word "yes" but Will can feel his mouth saying "no," meeting Hannibal's intrusive gaze with his own. He's reminded of a quote -  _Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster... for when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you_  - and Will almost hates Nietszche in that moment. He's been dead for over a hundred years; how could he understand the way man has progressed since then?

Hannibal's hand is on his wrist, not grasping or moving, but merely...feeling. Will is acutely aware of his own breathing now, can feel his pulse beneath Hannibal's fingers and how it seems like the man is determined to become a part of Will either metaphorically or physically.

"I will not force you to eat my food," Hannibal says gently, "but I do worry that you not getting enough nutrients can negatively affect your health, and in so, your work. I will bring you lunch, and if you do not want it, you can feed it to your dogs so that it does not go to waste."

 _Guilt_. Will knows exactly what he's playing here, and he won't fall for it. He's not...

Will makes the fatal flaw of looking into Hannibal's eyes at that precise moment and sees the overwhelming amount of concern in his eyes.

 _Shit_.

"Alright, I'll eat your food," Will acquiesces finally, because it's almost contagious the way Hannibal smiles.

 _All emotions are contagious_ , Will reminds himself, even as he returns the smile.  _Don't get caught up in them._


End file.
